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Maharashtra's disaster management plan hits capex block

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Maharashtra’s ambitious plan to set up a state-of-the-art disaster management cell has hit a road block of its own creation.

Not a single company has formally responded to the Request For Proposal (RFP) for setting up the Emergency Operation and Unified Coordination Centre for disaster management, proposed to be set up at a cost of Rs60-80 crore.

The deadline for submission of bids has already been extended thrice, but what’s turning out to be the hindrance is the state government’s tender and payment conditions.

Some of the private firms want the government to pay them the capital expenditure upfront.

The centre was expected to provide a co-ordinated response to disasters like terror strikes, floods and fires.

The idea was that, in times of emergencies, the disaster management cell would provide vertical and horizontal linkages, by co-ordinating with all agencies involved.

The need for such a centre was felt after 26/11 and the recent Mantralaya fire. It was then decided to upgrade the state’s disaster management plan and to set up an emergency centre on a build, operate and maintain (BOM) basis.

The BOM system called for the operator to set up and manage the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure.

“There are many firms which have evinced interest in setting up the centre, but because of certain issues, a formal bid has not been made. We hope the process will be completed soon,” IA Kundan, secretary and director of the State Disaster Management Unit, exuded hope.

The words of a state disaster management official, however, prove that Kundan’s optimism may be far-fetched.

“Some private firms which are competent to set up the centre have problems in payment conditions. They want the government to pay some of the capital expenditure upfront,” he said.

A government official defended the state’s reluctance to pay money upfront.

“Some of these operators wash their hands off after they make their money and then the government is left grappling with the technologies and equipment given by the firm. The state of communication centre also involves many IT applications,” he said.

Dealing with danger
The need for the Emergency Operation and Unified Coordination Centre was felt after 26/11 and the recent Mantralaya fire. It was then decided to to set up an emergency centre on a build, operate and maintain (BOM) basis.

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